Cedar Furniture

An XL charred cedar naturalistic coffee table. Beautifully patinated with brown tones showing through. Made using 19th C. Japanese elements in our London workshop.

New finds from an old Kura (traditional storehouse) from Niigata Prefecture, Tohoku area, Japan. 2 tier Mizuya tansu is made of Japanese Red Pine (Akamatsu) & premium quality re...

This Japanese antique storage cabinet was crafted in the Meiji Era (1868-1912). Compact in scale yet rich in character, the cabinet combines lattice-front sliding doors with five dr...

This is a large antique Japanese black Tansu chest, distinguished by its commanding horizontal proportions and deep black finish that radiates a quiet yet powerful presence. Without ...

This large Japanese Tansu cabinet is believed to have been crafted during the late Meiji to early Taisho period. Among traditional Japanese storage furniture, examples of this scale...

This Japanese antique small chest of drawers was crafted in the Taisho Era (1912-1926). Made primarily of sugi (Japanese cedar), the chest embodies the quiet practicality found in e...

This exceptional Japanese mizuya tansu dates to the Meiji period, circa 1860s to 1900s, and is crafted from solid cedar wood. It embodies the quiet refinement of traditional Japanese...

This large cabinet is a one-of-a-kind piece created by restoring an original Japanese tansu from the Edo period and reimagining it with custom-made sliding doors clad in reclaimed an...

This piece is a Japanese sliding door cabinet crafted during the late Meiji to early Taisho period. It is constructed from cedar wood, a material deeply rooted in Japanese architectu...

This is a large antique Japanese low table, a sculptural piece that quietly commands attention while creating a strong visual center within a space. Devoid of unnecessary ornamentati...

This tansu chest of drawers is made entirely from thick, high-quality solid sugi cedar boards. It is estimated to date from the late Edo period, circa 1820s–1860s, or the early to m...

This Japanese vintage store display case was crafted in the Showa Period. Originally used in a shop setting, it retains the honest practicality of traditional Japanese store fixture...

This is an antique Japanese black chest of drawers distinguished by its low, horizontally balanced form and the deep black patina that gives it a quiet yet commanding presence. Its r...

This is an antique Japanese carved wooden horse covered with paper. It is believed to date from the Meiji period (1860s–1900s). The figure is primarily carved from Japanese cedar an...

This is a large antique Japanese black Tansu chest, distinguished by its low, horizontally balanced proportions and its deep, rich black finish. While its appearance is quiet and und...

This exceptional Japanese storehouse door embodies the aesthetics of wabi-sabi. Once used to protect valuables in a merchant's warehouse, it featured a traditional plaster finish, bu...

This striking tall cabinet is a masterful blend of history and contemporary functionality. The original cabinet was remodeled into a sliding-door cabinet using recycled wood from the...

Acquired in Japan’s Tokai region, this substantial late 19th-century apothecary counter dates to the Meiji period, circa 1870s–1910s. It retains not only its original configuration...

This cabinet is crafted from high-quality Japanese Sugi cedar and dates to Taisho to early Showa period (circa 1910s–1940s), estimate from the style, materials & conditions. Hav...

This is an old Japanese black Tansu chest. Its horizontally balanced proportions and deep black tone create a quiet sense of stability, bringing a calm visual weight to any space. Wi...

Mid size Mizuya (cupboard) , dates to Taisho to early Showa period (circa 1910s–1930s).
 Crafted from high-quality Japanese Sugi cedar and Japanese Oak. Tansu cabinets in this style...

This is an old Japanese black drawer cabinet. Quietly standing in space, it brings a deep sense of balance and quiet tension without ever appearing overly assertive. It is believed ...

Acquired in Gifu prefecture, Japan's Tokai region, this Mizuya Tansu chest has been used to store the tableware & kitchen tools in ordinal households, dating back to Late Edo to ...

This is an old Japanese mirror. Its calm black frame, accented with delicate ornamentation, quietly emerges from the surface and brings a refined yet substantial presence to any spac...

This is a Japanese antique drawer chest, believed to date from the late Edo period to early Meiji period circa 1800s to 1900s. Constructed from solid wood and finished in a deep tim...

This exceptional Japanese mizuya tansu dates to the Meiji period, circa 1860s to 1900s, and is crafted from solid cedar wood. It embodies the quiet refinement of traditional Japanese...

The Mesa Axis is a sculptural statement piece that blurs the boundary between furniture and contemporary art. Handcrafted in Mexico by skilled artisans using traditional woodworking...

This Japanese antique chest of drawers was crafted in the Meiji Era (1868–1912). With its low horizontal form and orderly arrangement of nine drawers, the piece has a calm and balan...

Antique "Okidoko"- wooden low display stand with drawer made of Keyaki & Japanese Red Pine (Akamatsu). Estimated to date from the late Edo to early Meiji period, circa 1850s–1880...

New finds from an old Kura (traditional storehouse) from Niigata Prefecture, Tohoku area, Japan. Mizuya tansu is made of Japanese Red Pine (Akamatsu) & premium quality reddish S...

This is an old Japanese panel featuring a lattice design. The delicate vertical slats are arranged in an orderly rhythm, presenting a quiet yet tense beauty. It is believed to have o...

This is an antique Japanese Sculptural Root Wood Coffee Table. It is believed to date from the mid-Showa period (1950s–1970s). Crafted from a massive Japanese cedar tree, the table f...

Iconic “Yucatán” chair designed by Edmund Spence and produced in Mexico by Industria Mueblera S.A. as part of the celebrated Continental-American Collection. This piece represents an...

This is a large antique Tansu made in Japan. It was crafted during the Meiji period (1860s–1900s) and is made of cedar wood. The soft grain characteristic of cedar and the wood surfa...

Charming Japanese 20th century Showa period four-panel folding byobu screen depicting a fruiting persimmon branch over a dramatic gilt silk ground. The painting is executed in the Ni...

A testament to Japanese craftsmanship, this exquisite Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) embodies the serene beauty of the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic. Its deep, rich, darkened patina—cultivated ...

This Japanese antique glass showcase cabinet was crafted in the late Taisho to early Showa period (1910s–1930s). Defined by strong horizontal lines, the cabinet features a crown-lik...

This is an old Japanese storage shelf. It is made of cedar and is thought to have originally been used as a shoe cabinet. The design of the wooden doors is the result of the maker's...

New finds from an old Kura (traditional storehouse) from Niigata Prefecture, Tohoku area, Japan. Mizuya tansu is made of Japanese Red Pine (Akamatsu) & premium quality reddish Sugi ...

This is an old low stool made from a tree stump, thought to have been made in Japan during the Taisho to early Showa period, in the early 20th century. It was cut from a section clos...

A finely crafted Japanese Mizuya tansu from the early 20th century, circa 1910s to 1930 (Taisho to early Showa period). Constructed from richly figured keyaki wood, prized for its s...

This glass cabinet was crafted in the early Showa period (1926–). Made of hinoki (Japanese cypress), it has a light and natural tone with a clean, honest wood surface. The simple co...

This cabinet is crafted from high-quality Japanese Sugi cedar and dates to the Meiji–Taishō period (circa 1900s–1920s). It is made entirely from dense, high-grade Sugi wood, which h...

Frusquin Side Table Side table in standard Lacquer finishes. DIMENSIONS: 11 DM x 17 H in FINISHES: Lacquer (Purple) Premium Finish Category: Side Tables & Nightstands Designer: C...

Mid-size, Dark reddish brown Urushi lacquered Tansu chest of drawers. Made of Sugi cedar - a product of late Edo to early Meiji era (circa 1860s-1880s) , estimate from the style &...

A Versatile Ceder Wood Cabinet Featuring a Rare Architectural Grid Back, Perfect as a Room Divider. This exceptional Mizuya Dansu (traditional Japanese kitchen...

Pair of doors coming from an authentic moroccan house. Each door can be opened onto a smaller Moorish-style opening. The side with the Moorish shape was the inside of the house. The...

This is an old Japanese black low board with drawers. Crafted during the Meiji period (1860s–1900s), it carries the quiet atmosphere of an era moving toward modernization, presenting...

This medium-sized mizura tansu (kitchen chest) dates to the mid-to-late Edo period (circa 1830s-1869), as determined by its style and condition. The original urushi lacquer has a ni...

This elegant storage trunk features a clean profile with a classic wavy base accent. The hinged top opens to reveal a spacious interior lined with a felt-lined storage tray. A timele...

Japanese Antique Huge Door " Wall Decoration " 1860s-1900s / Wabi Sabi This extraordinary large sliding door was once used in an old warehouse in Japan. Dating back to the Meiji per...

This wooden writing desk, known as a "Fu-zukue", dates back to the late Edo to Meiji period. Tatami culture has long been an integral part of Japanese life, where people sat on the ...

This striking antique chest of drawers, originating in Japan, exudes timeless minimalism and the aesthetics of wabi-sabi. With its two-tiered structure and a total of 20 drawers, it ...

A Japanese antique kusuri-dansu, or apothecary chest, made of sugi cedar. This piece dates to the late Edo period, circa early to mid-19th century, around the 1820s–1860s. Originally...

George Trollope and Sons. Exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878 winning a Gold Medal for Excellence. The set forms the four sides of a complete panelled room that was exhibited as a boudoir room or petit salon at the Paris Exhibition 1878 . The main feature and centrepiece of this boudoir room is the Rosso Antico marble fireplace surmounted by an open display niche carved in cedar wood. Each side of the room is composed of various panels and are as follows: One side with a grand Rosso Antico marble fireplace flanked by two doorways. One side with French doors originally opening onto a balcony, flanked by two large bookshelves. One side with a window flanked by two mirrors. The opposite side with three large mirrors. The complete room measures: 21 ft / 6.4 m wide, 17 ft / 5.18 m deep, and 12 ft / 3.65 m high. It could also be used in a number of different combinations to suit various room layouts. The mirrors could be replaced with windows or further bookcases. Each side is decorated with various sizes of finely carved panels and holds ornate Corinthian style columns surmounted with cherubim's on the capitals. Three cherubs are formed at the top of each corner with three columns, at the column bases there are circular carved pedestals to display statues. Published & illustrated in the ‘Illustrated Catalogue of the Paris International Exhibition’. The main part of this room, the Rosso Antico marble fireplace is surmounted by a large open display niche carved in cedar wood are illustrated with a line drawing in the Paris Universal Exhibition catalogue on page 209. The whereabouts of the seminaked caryatids and the marble bust of Alexander Pope are unknown. The bust of Alexander Pope was copied from the original one in Westminster Abbey, London. The Corinthian columns now flanking the niche above the fireplace are also in cedar wood having the identical carved fluting to the rest of the room and were made to replace the caryatid figures. Those Corinthian columns are period to the room and can only have been made shortly after it arrived back to London and before it was reassembled and fitted into the house built by George Trollope and Sons in the 1880's, and where we removed it all from. George Trollope made clever use of Alexander Pope's early 18th-century poetical successes in Great Britain and France by using ‘The Rape of Lock’, a mock-heroic narrative poem Pope wrote in 1712 about Petre who cut off a lock of Arabella’s hair without her permission, as the theme of the boudoir room or petit salon at the 1878 Paris Exhibition. In the original exhibition display of the room set, tapestries depicting the Rape of Lock were hung where the mirrors are now positioned. Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock is a humorous indictment of the vanities and idleness of 18th-century high society. Basing his poem on an actual incident among two families of his acquaintance, Pope intended his verses to quench hot tempers and to encourage his friends to laugh at their own foolishness. The poem is an outstanding example in the English language of the genre of mock-epic. The 'epic' was considered one of the most serious of literary forms; it had been applied, in the classical period, to the trivialities of love and war. Pope’s mock-epic is not to mock the form itself, but to mock his society in its very failure to rise to epic standards, exposing its pettiness by casting it against the grandeur of the traditional epic subjects and the bravery and fortitude of epic heroes: Pope’s mock-heroic treatment in The Rape of the Lock underlines the ridiculousness of a society in which values have lost all proportion, and the trivial is handled with the gravity and solemnity that ought to be accorded to truly important issues. The 18th-century society in this poem fails to distinguish between things that are important and things that are not. The poem mocks the men it portrays by representing them as unworthy of a heroic culture. Therefore the mock-epic follows the epic in that its main concerns are serious and moral. The point that the theme must now be satirical rather than earnest is symptomatic of how far the culture has fallen. Retaining the original exhibition label The back of the panelling still retains two original labels printed with the 'Union Jack' and printed adjacent to it, 'The Secretary Royal British Commission for the Universal Exhibition 1878 Champ de Mars Paris'. Adjacent to that and below, printed and written in ink vertically: Exhibitor: (and signed in ink) George Trollope & Sons. Address: (written in ink) Halkin Street West. London. Allotment in Block: (written in ink) a2. In the printed floor plan 'a2 square' is in the very first line to the right of the floor plan and handwritten in ink with a 'diamond shape' also written with '101' within it. This pin points where George Trollope's stand was located. With thousands of items being displayed at the Exhibition, this label would have been the floor plan for the craftsmen, so they knew the correct place to install the boudoir room or petit salon. The firm continued expanding house building and interior decoration side of the business and by 1849 was also trading as an estate agency, letting and controlling property for the Grosvenor Estates. A separate branch of cabinet-makers, bearing the family name, was opened at West Halkin Street, London. becoming known as 'The Museum of Decorative Arts' (looked after by George Robinson). Here Trollope and Sons also sold high-class antique furniture made by other makers. In 1851, the firm became formally known as George Trollope and Sons. West Halkin Street, London. The address was recorded in the listing for the firm in The Furniture Gazette Directory, 1876 & 1877. Period Press Coverage & Art Critic Review. everal newspapers also thoroughly describe George Trollope and Son's stand including the different tapestries that were hung where the mirrors are now, illustrating the poem 'The Rape of Lock', by Alexander Pope. Marius Vachon, a French Art Critic and journalist, who wrote for the journal ‘La France’ published an extensive review of the Trollope and Sons stand in a book called Les Merveilles de l'Exposition de 1878 (The Wonders of the 1878 Exhibition). Note: In the World Fairs translation it states door frame, Marius Vachon had originally written ‘chambranle’ in French, 'chambranle' loosely translates to a frame around something, and should read in its correct context: ‘fireplace in rosso antico’. We have taken the extract below written by Marius Vachon in its translated form from: Les Merveilles de l'Exposition de 1878, (The Wonders of the 1878 Exhibition). This puts into perspective the importance of this fine quality room interior when he viewed it at the exhibition in 1878: Marius Vachon: English furniture is very curious to observe; irreproachable from the point of view of execution, the furniture of our neighbours always reaches the last degree of respectability and comfort. One thing to be noticed is that for large pieces of furniture, the English upholsterer is transformed into a sort of architect; everything he makes takes on a monumental aspect. The first object that catches the eye when one enters the furniture class is the beautiful boudoir-salon exhibited by Mr. Trollope. The boudoir (or petit salon), of carved cedar wood, is an attempt to reproduce the style which prevailed in England during the first decade of Queen Anne's reign, and all the details have been studied, but not copied, from examples of decorative work of the time. The fireplace is in "rosso antico" movement, and the ceiling is in portable plaster. The panels painted on canvas represent scenes from the heroic-comic poem "The Abduction of the Hairpin," (The Rape of Lock) written by Alexander Pope in 1712, the eighth year of Queen Anne's reign, in which the customs and mores of the time are satirized in a pleasing manner. The apotheosis of the Loop and its sidereal transformations will form the decoration of the ceiling. In these illustrations of Pope's charming poem, the costumes and accessories have been taken from models of the time; and the bust of the poet, copied from his tomb in Westminster Abbey, occupies the niche in the centre of the mantelpiece. M. Marius Vachon, the period writer of the above continues with: Now we shall mention at random the magnificent dining table of Messrs. Johnston and Co., their oak mantelpiece, their boudoir table; Mr. Watt's drawing-room mantelpiece stepped in the old style and imitating the Japanese; Mr. James Shoolbred's great The Decorative Arts Society on Trollope and Sons The boudoir or petit salon is mentioned again in the Decorative Arts Society: Trollope did not exhibit such highly rated objects at the 1878 Paris Exhibition as at previous exhibitions; items included a large mirror frame carved in limewood in Renaissance style and a satinwood cabinet in Adam revival style, with a similar armchair (illus. Meyer (2006), p. 242) and probably two rooms; one was a boudoir in cedar wood in Queen Anne style and the other was a boudoir decorated by the firm in the theme of Pope’s The Rape of Lock. In the above extract, it is quite clear that the two rooms mentioned are in fact the very same room, because the fireplace and niche are illustrated in The Paris Universal Exhibition catalogue on page 209 and Marius Vachon describes the rest of the room set in the above… Trollope and Sons exhibition pieces listed and described by Meyer in an article he wrote for: The Decorative Arts Society 1850 to present, Journal 25 in 2001., where he points out the importance of George Trollope and Sons and mentions a table by Trollope exhibited at the 1867 exhibition that sold for £40,000 in 1996. He also mentions a cabinet exhibited by Trollope at the International Exhibition of 1862 that sold at Sotheby's in 1997 for £150,000. Interest was not as strong in the 1990's as it is today for rare exhibition pieces, high quality items were abundant back then, it was a golden era when the most beautiful works of art just kept coming onto the market. But there are exceptions as in this instance, when a unique, gold medal-winning exhibition work of art comes onto the market for the very first time. Meyer continued researching and writing about the great exhibitions and released his book in 2006, 'The Great Exhibitions, London, New York, Paris and Philadelphia 1851- 1900, where he mentions only in passing, The Boudoir Room or Petite Salon exhibited by Trollope, he even states that an image was not reproduced and that Trollope's exhibits in 1878 were not up to the quality and class of the items Trollope exhibited in London in 1862 and Paris in 1868. This is probably because Meyer didn't know of the line drawing illustrating the Roso Antico Fireplace, Niche and Panelling reproduced in The Illustrated Catalogue of the Paris International Exhibition 1878 shown in the above which Geering recently uncovered. John Meyer continues in the DAS journal: Undoubtedly they (Trollope) are a firm worthy of further research as they were right at the forefront of the furniture business in London from 1860 to 1880. Our research shows that the Petite Boudoir was awarded the gold medal for excellence in 1878 (see Journal La Liberté 23-10-1878 with the list of all medals attributed), something George Trollope and Sons did not achieve at the London 1862 and the Paris 1867 exhibitions. Jonathan Meyer joined Bonham's in 1977. He was Director at Sotheby's in charge of 19th Century Furniture from 1994 to June 2007. He was also chairman of the Fine Arts Faculty for The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. In the original description from the article in Les Merveilles de l’exposition de 1878, M. Marius Vachon states: The first object that catches the eye when one enters the (English) furniture class is the beautiful boudoir-salon exhibited by Mr. Trollope. Suggesting, it was in his opinion the very best on display in the English section, and being awarded the gold medal for excellence can only add weight to this. Adjacent to the original label that was printed by The Secretary - Royal British Commission for the Universal Exhibition 1878 in stencil ‘TO BE KEPT’, i.e. ‘to be returned’. This confirms why it came back to London. We removed the Boudoir Room or Petite Salon from a Trollope house, part of a grand high-class housing estate in London which around the time of the exhibition Trollope and Sons were in the process of building, and where the room set was installed directly after it returned from the exhibition in 1878 until now. Worthy of note is the machines that did the carving for the Boudoir Room or Petite Salon and also did all of the decorative carving (most of which was linenfold carving) for the Houses of Parliament, London. This machine, the engraving and description of which we copy from Engineering, was specially designed by its inventor, Mr. Jordan, for assisting in the production of the vast amount of carved decorations required for the walls and ceilings of the Houses of Parliament, London, and it was so employed during the entire progress of the work. The late Sir Charles Barry was so well satisfied with it, that he frequently declared it would have been impossible to have accomplished the work without it. The Department of Woods and Forests employed five of the machines at the Government Works, Thames Bank, for several years; and the machines have now passed into the hands of Messrs. George Trollope and Son, and are still used in the same building. They also exhibited the new technique of xylatechnography and sgraffito, methods of impressing coloured design into soft wood and engraving veneer to reveal the base wood. The newspaper, La Liberte October, 23rd 1878 listing the medal winners of the Paris 1878 exhibition. Third column, ''GROUPE III MOBILIER ET ACCESSOIRES'', (GROUP III FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES). Medailles d'or. (Gold Medals) where G Trollope et fils (G Trollope and Sons...

Japanese Vintage Low Table, Showa Period, Wabi Sabi, Mingei This Japanese vintage low table was crafted in the Showa Period (1926-1989). Made from a combination of sugi (Japanese c...

Experience the unique aroma of scented cedar with this bench, sculpted from a single piece of wood. Its graceful arched base below the seat magnifies the exquisite wood grains and na...

These side wooden stools capture the elegance and charm of antique card tables, where cards and camaraderie intertwined in endless afternoons. Each bench is meticulously designed wit...

This large Japanese tansu was crafted in the early 1900s and reflects a restrained yet powerful approach to utilitarian furniture. Made from solid cedar wood, the piece combines stru...

Experience the unique aroma of Vulcano scented cedar with this bench, sculpted from a single piece of wood. Its graceful arched base below the seat magnifies the exquisite wood grain...